PERDICID.E — THE PARTRIDGES. 495 



Captain S. G. French, cited by Mr. Cassin, mentions meeting with this 

 Partridge in the summer of 1846, when crossing the table-lands that extend 

 westwardly from San Antonio, in Texas, to New Mexico. On the sides 

 of a high rocky mountain near the summit, he observed several of them 

 only a few feet in advance of him. They were running along over the 

 fragments of rocks and through the dwarf bushes which grew wherever 

 there was sufficient soil. He was attracted by their handsome plumage and 

 their extreme gentleness. A few days after, when encamped on the head- 

 waters of the river, he again met with a covey, and from that point occa- 

 sionally encountered them on the route to the Pecos Eiver, a distance of 

 over a hundred miles. He did not meet witli them aoain until he came to 

 Eagle Springs, in a mountainous region about twenty-five miles from the 

 Eio Grande. In tlie spring of 1851, on the same route, he saw only two of 

 these birds, and was led to the belief that they are not at all numerous. 

 They appeared to inhabit the rocky sides of the mountains and hills, in the 

 desolate region of elevated plains west of the fertile portions of Texas. In 

 no instance did he meet with any of these birds near the settlements. 

 Wild and rocky hillsides seemed to be their favorite resort, where trees 

 were almost unknown and all vegetation was very scant. The coveys 

 showed but little alarm on being approached, and ran along over the rocks, 

 occasionally attempting to secrete themselves beneath them. In this case 

 they could be approached to within a few feet. Wlien startled by the firing 

 of a gun, they fly but a fev/ yards before again alighting, and exhibit but 

 little of tliat wildness peculiar to all the other species of Partridge. The 

 contents of the crop in Captain French's specimens consisted exclusively of 

 fragments of insects, principally grasshoppers. No trace whatever of food 

 of a vegetable character was found. 



Don Pablo de la Llave, quoted by Mv. Cassin, furnishes the following ac- 

 count of the habits of this Partridge, observed by him in specimens taken 

 near the city of Mexico. 



" It is only a few days since the third species has been brought to me. It 

 is rather smaller than the former (C. squamata), and its deportment is en- 

 tirely different. It carries its head habitually resting on its shoulders, the 

 neck being excessively small and deflexed, and in everything it shows an 

 amiability, and, so to speak, kindness of character {una bonclacl de carader), 

 which is not found in any other species of this genus, and it is naturally so 

 tame and domestic as to permit itself to be caught with the hand. These 

 l)irds are always united, forming a covey, and Avhenever one is separated the 

 others follow it. They do not, like others, wish to sleep on elevated places, 

 but sit on the ground, drawing very near together. Their notes, which are 

 not varied, are very low and soft, and I have never heard loud cries from 

 the male. When they are frightened they show much activity and swift- 

 ness ; at other times their gait and movement are habitually slow and delib- 

 erate, carrying the crest puffed up (espayada)." 



